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10 great places to challenge American assumptions

For decades, television host and writer Rick Steves has shown viewers how to visit Europe. But the new edition of his book "Travel as a Political Act" has a loftier goal: changing the way they see the world. “If you travel thoughtfully, you find people who find different truths self-evident,” he says. “You have an opportunity to come home with the greatest souvenir, which is global perspective.” Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city, straddles Europe and Asia, which makes it a fascinating place to visit, Steves says. “I consider Istanbul, along with Paris, London and Rome, one of the top four cities in Europe to see."

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10 great places to challenge American assumptions

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For decades, television host and writer Rick Steves has shown viewers how to visit Europe. But the new edition of his book "Travel as a Political Act" has a loftier goal: changing the way they see the world. “If you travel thoughtfully, you find people who find different truths self-evident,” he says. “You have an opportunity to come home with the greatest souvenir, which is global perspective.” Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city, straddles Europe and Asia, which makes it a fascinating place to visit, Steves says. “I consider Istanbul, along with Paris, London and Rome, one of the top four cities in Europe to see."
Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

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Visitors to Copenhagen learn that big government and high taxes might be an anathema in America, but not in Denmark. In return, citizens get a country with no hunger, nearly no homelessness, and universal education.
Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

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Belfast found peace after decades of civil war. It’s easy to learn the region’s history on popular “Troubles” tours that visit the neighborhoods where violence reigned.
Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

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Relations with Iran have been strained for decades, which is why Rick Steves says it’s important to visit.
Rick Steves' Europe/RickSteves.com

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Famous for its legal prostitution and marijuana “coffee shops,” Amsterdam is a place to see social experimentation in action.
Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

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Egypt’s capital city Cairo offers conflicting ideas and perspectives about the Middle East, which is what makes it an important place to visit.
Rick Steves' Europe/RickSteves.com

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Although you learn a lot about your home country by traveling abroad and seeing it from a distance, it doesn’t substitute for visiting Washington, D.C.
Trish Feaster

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Cuba presents visitors with the challenges and promise of a socialist society.
Rick Steves' Europe/RickSteves.com

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Although just a few miles apart, Jerusalem and Bethlehem are separated by a wall and generations of conflict. Visitors can begin to understand the complicated issue that likely will be in the headlines for years to come.
Trish Feaster

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St. Petersburg, the most tourist-friendly city in Russia, is not only polished up for visitors, but also offers a window to understanding support for its president, Vladimir Putin.
Rick Steves' Europe/RickSteves.com

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For decades, television host and writer Rick Steves has shown viewers how to visit Europe. But the new edition of his book "Travel as a Political Act" has a loftier goal: changing the way they see the world. “If you travel thoughtfully, you find people who find different truths self-evident,” he says. “You have an opportunity to come home with the greatest souvenir, which is global perspective.” Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city, straddles Europe and Asia, which makes it a fascinating place to visit, Steves says. “I consider Istanbul, along with Paris, London and Rome, one of the top four cities in Europe to see."